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Missile Defense

Technology has always found its greatest consumer in a nation's war and defense efforts. Since the last attempts at a "Star Wars" defense system, has technology changed considerably enough to make the latest Missile Defense initiatives more successful? Can such an application of science be successful? Is a militarized space inevitable, necessary or impossible?

Read Debates, a new Web-only feature culled from Readers' Opinions, published every Thursday.

almarst2002 - 10:17pm Jun 4, 2003 EST (# 12306 of 12314)

Iraqis Assail U.S. Plans For Council - http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A5445-2003Jun2?language=printer

BAGHDAD, June 2 -- Iraqi political leaders lashed out today at a plan by the top U.S. civilian administrator here to appoint an interim advisory council instead of convening a national conference to choose a transitional government, saying that U.S. officials had reneged on earlier assurances and that many Iraqis would regard the decision as unpalatable.

Leaders of seven key political groups held an emergency meeting today on the decision by L. Paul Bremer III, the head of the U.S. occupation authority in Iraq, to select between 25 and 30 Iraqis to serve on an interim political council whose powers would largely be limited to advising U.S. officials on policy issues and nominating Iraqis to serve in senior positions in government ministries. The organizations refrained from issuing a joint condemnation of Bremer's plan because they hope to persuade him to change course, but some of the groups made it clear they disapproved of the decision.

"We are skeptical this is going to work," said Entifadh Qanbar, a spokesman for the Iraqi National Congress, which has close ties to Pentagon officials and was until recently an exile group based in London.

Qanbar said the seven groups, including two parties representing ethnic Kurds and two representing Shiite Muslims, want to soon have an interim Iraqi government with clearly defined authority for various aspects of governance instead of an "advisory board to Bremer."

While the U.S. occupation authority is not obliged to listen to the views of the political groups ...

INDEED. WHY TO LISTEN IF THEY DIDN'T PAY FOR POLITICAL COMPAIN LIKE EVERY OTHER "DEVELOPED DEMOCRACY" DOES?

almarst2002 - 10:21pm Jun 4, 2003 EST (# 12307 of 12314)

FAIR study finds democracy poorly served by war coverage - http://www.fair.org/extra/0305/warstudy.html

Dissent, Disloyalty & Double Standards - Kosovo doves denounced Iraq War protest as "anti-American" - http://www.fair.org/extra/0305/kosovo-doves.html

CONNECTING THE DOTS... DO WE SEE THE EMERGENCE OF SWASTIKA?

almarst2002 - 10:32pm Jun 4, 2003 EST (# 12308 of 12314)

"They said it was a liberation but it's been two months and where are our salaries, where is the power, the petrol? If you don't respect these people they will not respect you."

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that its Special Investigation Branch is questioning soldiers over the deaths of two Iraqi prisoners in the custody of the Black Watch in Basra last month, writes Tania Branigan.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,970714,00.html

"If you don't respect these people they will not respect you."

HMMM... WHAT A NOVEL IDEA. ONLY NON-ENGLISH-SPEAKING BARBARIANS COULD COME UP WITH SUCH NONSENSE.

almarst2002 - 10:39pm Jun 4, 2003 EST (# 12309 of 12314)

Afghanistan's finance minister warns that further $15bn (£9bn) will be needed. - http://www.guardian.co.uk/afghanistan/story/0,1284,970596,00.html

I KNEW IT! THIS F***G "NATION BUILDING" IS SOOOO EXPENSIVE WE MAY BE FORCED INTO SOME MORE TAX CUTS... OR ANOTHER WAR... JUST TO KEEP THE STORY UNDER CONTROL.

bbbuck - 10:42pm Jun 4, 2003 EST (# 12310 of 12314)

They should mortgage their oil reserves.

That should cover it.

almarst2002 - 10:46pm Jun 4, 2003 EST (# 12311 of 12314)

"That should cover it"

Did it ever come to your mind that their "IT" could be bigger then yours?:)

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